Police Arrest Man For Indecent Exposure At Mall

Police Arrest Man For Indecent Exposure At Mall

Surveillance photo of the man arrested for allegedly exposing himself to girls at the Columbia Mall (Photo provided by the Howard County Police)

A Howard County man has been charged with indecent exposure after police say he exposed himself at the Columbia Mall.

Police say 49-year-old Steven Lerer of Burtonsville was arrested Wednesday night after a member of the mall's cleaning crew say he exposed himself.

According to police, the first incident happened last month when a woman reported seeing a man following a group of girls near the food court. Police say the man walked past the woman and his genitals were exposed.

Then on Wednesday night, police say a mall cleaning staff member spotted the suspect in the mall near the food court and again he had exposed himself.

Police arrived and later determined he was the same man who was spotted in mall surveillance video. Police say he had the same jacket that was seen on the suspect in the mall video.

Lerer was released on bond.

Police are also working to see if there is any connection to a similar incident in the parking lot at the movie theatre near the mall earlier this month.

Read more from Howard County Police.

Howard County police have charged a Burtonsville man with two cases of indecent exposure at the Mall in Columbia. Steven Michael Lerer, 49, of 4211 Dunwood Terrace, was arrested Wednesday night following a second incident in which he was spotted exposing himself inside the mall.

The first incident occurred Jan. 13 when a woman reported seeing a man acting in a suspicious manner, staring at and following a group of girls near the food court. She told police the suspect was carrying a coat over his arm, hanging in front of his pants. As he walked by the woman, she could see that the manÆs genitals were exposed outside of his pants and he was touching himself.

Police launched an investigation, which included the public release of surveillance photos of the suspect. Despite that, and other investigative efforts, police had not yet been able to identify the suspect.

Last night, around 9:30 p.m., a member of the mallÆs housekeeping staff saw the suspect, later identified as Lerer, standing near the food court with a jacket covering his genital area. When the man turned, the staff member observed that his genitals were exposed and he was fondling himself.

The staff member reported the man to mall security, who detained the suspect until police arrived. Officers recognized Lerer as the man in the surveillance video images captured last month. He also recognized LererÆs jacket as the same one the suspect was carrying in that video.

Lerer was arrested and charged with two counts of indecent exposure. He posted a $7,500 bond and was released.

Police are continuing to investigate a third incident of indecent exposure that occurred near the mall Feb. 10. In that case, two girls were near the movie theater adjacent to the mall when they observed a man in a vehicle who lifted himself up off of the seat and exposed his genitals.

Detectives are still working to determine whether this case involved Lerer. If that is determined, he will be charged.